Table base



Se t. 12,,1967 L. B. JbNEs m TABLE BASE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 4, 1965 v ZNVENTOR LEE 8. JONE$ III mm ATTORNEYS ep 12,1957 L. B. JONES m 3,341,160

TABLE BASE Filed Aug. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR E B. JONES III ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,341,160 TABLE BASE Lee B. Jones III, Jacksonville, Fla., assignor to Eversteady Table Company, Jacksonville, Fla., a corporation of Florida Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,196 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-465) This invention concerns furniture 'bases. Disclosed herein is an improved table base, having novel leg and girder structures and having a novel combination of those structures.

Construction of quality furniture demands stable base structures which are attractive and strong. Twisting and wobbling legs must be prevented. Cumbersome strengthening structure must be avoided in order to provide lightness and attractiveness. Furniture must be capable of occupying a small space in shipping configuration. Subsequently, it must be capable of rapid assembly by a retailer or purchaser. Materials must be attractive, and durable and must resist damage. Strength, durability, beauty, lightness and compactness are all desirable qualities of furniture bases. Heretofore, it has been difficult to combine all of the desirable features in furniture bases and to maintain competitive costs.

The table leg of the present invention is formed from heavy steel with a wrapper of stainless steel, brass or other durable and attractive material. The combination gives the strength of steel with the durability and quality of solid stainless steel, or other decorative material, with less cost than a leg made of solid stainless steel or brass. The leg is formed by securing a flat piece of stainless steel to a piece of sixteen gauge steel and forming the combination into a square table leg. When completed, the stainless steel is wrapped so tightly around the 16 gauge steel legs, that any bumps which would normally damage the stainless steel is'transferred directly to the heavy steel. The result is a strong leg having the beauty and durability of stainless steel and the strength of 16 gauge steel.

An angular piece is welded inside the top of each leg, holding opposed edges of the formed leg together. The angular piece has an extruded hole which is tapped to receive a heat treated cap screw after the latter engages a clamp, girder seat and the 'leg. Welding an angular piece inside the leg provides a means for fixing the abutting edges of the legs against relative twisting, and also provides a reinforcement for mounting the frame girders to the leg assembly.

An improved girder construction includes integral tabs bent and welded to an L-shaped seat, forming a leg socket. The strength added to the girders by welding the tabs of the side flanges to the leg seat results in a much improved table base. Its strength is increased two to three times, yet the self leveling feature of the table base is maintained.

One objective of this invention improved furniture base.

Another object of this invention is the provision of strengthened girders for furniture bases.

Another object of this invention is the provision of strong, decorative legs.

Providing reinforced leg and girder mountings is another object of this invention.

Further objects of this invention will be apparent from the specification and from the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional plan view illustrating girder and leg mounting means;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective of novel girder end structure;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective of the assembled leg and girders;

is the provision of an "Ice FIGURE 4 is a side elevation indicating the effect of normal stress upon the furniture base;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of an assembled leg and girders;

FIGURE 6 is a FIGURE 5.

Referring to FIGURE 1, in forming the table legs generally represented by numeral 10, sixteen gauge steel 12 and stainless steel facing 14 are adjointed as sheets. As the square tube base is formed, the stainless steel facing is stretched tightly over the heavy frame. Angular piece 20 is welded inside leg 10 to hold the opposing edges of leg 10 together.

As best seen in FIGURE 2, girder 30 comprises a vertical portion 32 and horizontal portions 33. Integral end portions 35 and flange 37 form an angular leg seat. Together, end portion 35' and flange 37 define central hole 36, which communicates with hole 16 in leg 10. Tabs 34 and 38 are folded inwardly from opposite horizontal portions, and the tabs are welded to end portion 35 to form a rigid box.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective of an upper portion of a leg-girder joint. Leg 10 is made up of sixteen gauge steel 12 and stainless steel covering 14 developed as a square tube and held together by angular, piece 20, which also forms a reinforcement for attaching girders 30 and 40 to leg 10.

FIGURE 4 illustrates the wobbling motions of girder 40 which are prevented by a rigid leg-seat, formed by welding tabs 34 and 36 to end portion 35 of girder 30, and similar legseat structure on girder 40.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a leg-girder joint. FIG- URE 6 is a perspective view of the same elements. Leg 10 is formed by wrapping edges 15 of stainless steel sheet 14 around perspective edges 13 of the sixteen gauge steel 12. The stainless steel is fastened to the heavy stock, and both are formed into a square tube. This manner of construction gives a very tight fit between the stainless steel covering and the inner material. Shocks which might tend to damage the stainless are transferred directly to its back ing. Angular piece 20 is welded inside the leg to hold abutting edges of the leg together. Additionally, angular piece 20 contains a threaded aperture which receives cap screw 60.

After the square tube leg 10 has been formed, angular piece 20 is Welded inside an upper portion of the leg. A threaded aperture in angular piece 20 communicates with aperture 16 in leg 10. End portion 35 and flap 37 of girder 30 are placed against the leg, hole 36 communicating with aperture 16 in the leg. End portion 45 and flap 47 of an adjacent girder are placed respectively over flap 37 and tabs 34 and 38 of girder 30. Aperture similar to 36 in the leg-seat portion of girder 40 communicates with aperture 36 in girder 30 and aperture 16 in leg 10. Clamp 50 is placed over flange 47, end portion 45 and respective tabs of girder 40. Cap screw 60 is inserted through the aligned apertures and tightened in the threaded hole of angular piece 20. While girders 30 and 40 retain designed flexibility for self leveling, the leg girder assembly is rigidly fixed to prevent wobbling.

Although this invention has been described by Way of specific example, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that it has several applications. The scope of the invention, therefore, is defined only in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A table base comprising:

four spaced, vertical square-tube legs, each of said legs having a longitudinal slotted opening extending along one corner of said leg between opposite longitudinal extremities of said legs and each of said legs defining an aperture superimposed on the slotted opening adjacent an upper end thereof, decorative perspective of the assembly shown in material overlying each of said legs, said decorative material having opposite ends extended into said slotted openings;

angular pieces having apexes communicant with said slotted opening and defining threaded apertures communicant with apertures in said legs, said angular pieces welded to said legs and holding said slotted openings closed;

a plurality of integral girders bridging said legs, said girders defining vertical portions,

upper and lower horizontal portions extending laterally from said vertical portions,

end portions extending perpendicular to said vertical and horizontal portions, from opposite longitudinal ends of said vertical portions,

flanges fixed on said end portions in continuation of said girders remote from said vertical portions and parallel thereto, opposed flanges of girders overlying respectively opposed end portions,

opposed flanges and end portions overlying said legs and cooperatively defining holes communieating with apertures in said legs;

cap screws extending through apertures in said end portions and flanges and in said legs and engaging threaded apertures in said angular pieces; and

clamps engaged by said cap screws urging said end portions and said flanges toward said legs.

2. The table base of claim 1, wherein the respective girders each comprise a blank, said blank being folded upon itself at its respective vertical, horizontal end portions and said flange.

3. A table base comprising:

(A) at least three spaced, tubular legs, each of said legs defining a longitudinal slotted opening, extending along each said leg between opposite longitudinal extremities thereof and each of said legs further defining an aperture, superimposed upon the slotted opening, adjacent an upper end thereof;

(B) decorative material overlying each of said legs,

said decorative material having opposite ends extended into each said slotted openings;

(C) reinforcement means communicated with each of said slotted openings and defining threaded apertures communicant with corresponding apertures in said legs, said reinforcement means being fixed to said legs, holding thereby said slotted openings substantially closed;

(D) at least three integral girders bridging said legs,

each of said girders being formed of a blank and defining:

(Dl) a vertical beam portion;

(D2) upper and lower horizontal flange portions extending laterally from said vertical beam portion;

(D3) end portions for each said girder extending perpendicular to said vertical and horizontal flange portions, from opposite longitudinal ends of said vertical portions;

(D4) terminal flanges in extension of said end portions and in continuation of said girders, offset inwardly from said vertical beam portions and parallel thereto, opposed terminal flanges of girders overlying respectively opposed end portions; opposed terminal flanges and end portions overlying said legs and cooperatively defining apertures communicating with corresponding apertures in said legs;

(D5) cap screws extending through apertures in said end portions and terminal flanges and in said legs and engaging threaded apertures in said angular pieces; and

(D6) clamps engaged by said cap screw urging said end portions and said terminal flanges toward said legs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 367,545 8/1887 Pfeifer 52-727 564,593 7/1896 Craw 22934 1,770,722 7/1930 Wright 248 1,858,381 5/1932 Vance 248188.8 2,047,346 7/1936 Weston 248-188.8 2,131,115 9/1938 Naisuler 29--18l 2,172,687 9/1939 Anderson 248188.8 2,304,481 12/1942 Shannon l08153 3,210,035 10/1965 Vincens 248--188.8

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TABLE BASE COMPRISING: FOUR SPACED, VERTICAL SQUARE-TUBE LEGS EACH OF SAID LEGS HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOTTED OPENING EXTENDING ALONG ONE CORNER OF SAID LEG BETWEEN OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EXTREMITIES OF SAID LEGS AND EACH OF SAID LEGS DEFINING AN APERTURE SUPERIMPOSED ON THE SLOTTED OPENING ADJACENT AN UPPER END THEREOF, DECORATIVE MATERIAL OVERLYING EACH OF SAID LEGS, SAID DECORATIVE MATERIAL HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS EXTENDED INTO SAID SLOTTED OPENINGS; ANGULAR PIECES HAVING APEXES COMMUNICANT WITH SAID SLOTTED OPENING AND DEFINING THREADED APERTURES COMMUNICANT WITH APERTURES IN SAID LEGS, SAID ANGULAR PIECES WELDED TO SAID LEGS AND HOLDING SAID SLOTTED OPENINGS CLOSED; A PLURALITY OF INTEGRAL GIRDERS BRIDGING SAID LEGS, SAID GIRDERS DEFINING VERTICAL PORTIONS, UPPER AND LOWER HORIZONTAL PORTIONS EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID VERTICAL PORTIONS, END PORTIONS EXTENDING PERPENDICULAR TO SAID VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL PORTION, FROM OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF SAID VERTICAL PORTIONS, FLANGES FIXED ON SAID END PORTIONS IN CONTINUATION OF SAID GIRDERS REMOTE FROM SAID VERTICAL PORTIONS AND PARALLEL THERETO, OPPOSED FLANGES OF GIRDERS OVERLYING RESPECTIVELY OPPOSED END PORTIONS OPPOSED FLANGES AND END PORTIONS OVERLYING SAID LEGS AND COOPERATIVELY DEFINING HOLES COMMUNICATING WITH APERTURES IN SAID LEGS; CAP SCREWS EXTENDING THROUGH APERTURES IN SAID END PORTIONS AND FLANGES AND IN SAID LEGS AND ENGAGING THREADED APERTURES IN SAID ANGULAR PIECES; AND CLAMPS ENGAGED BY SAID CAP SCREWS URGING SAID END PORTIONS AND SAID FLANGES TOWARD SAID LEGS. 